From fragrant Perfis, gemm'd with orient flowers; And Teflis, to the nymphs of Georgia dear. Back the dread echoes roll through climes of day; In this paffage the local allufions are poetical and proper; there are others, however, in which Mr. Grant is fo profufe of his oriental learning as to become quite enigmatical. Thus, when he alludes to the Mahabbarat, we are overwhelmed with a torrent of uncouth names, which no art can render musical. In the compafs of about a dozen lines, we have the plains of Kirket, the Kooroos and Pandoo's fons, the fhell of Bheem, the lion-roar of Bheeshma, the gandeev (bow) in the hand of Arjun, the groves of Cali, and distant calpas (days.) Soon after, defcribing Vyafa, we have the peipal (fig) fhade, the fnowwhite zennar (linen), the pointed cufa (grals), and "Magadh's vales with floating chawla (rice) crowned." Ariftotle fays that a temperate ufe of what he calls the harlas, or foreign • Tabriz or Tauris, remarkable for the purity of its air. Its fame imports that it can never be infected by any contagious dif. order. + The ancient Cafpie Porta, called by the Turks, The Gate of Iron. The Ruffians fent an embassy to Nadir. Labore is watered by the five branches of the Indus, and is thence called Panjab. Karnal, thirty leagues from Delhi. Here was fought the decifive battle between Nadir and Mahommed the Mogul em. peror. terins, terms, gives dignity, but beyond that it becomes an enigma; and certainly there is little pleafure in reading lines, in every one of which we must look to the margin once or twice for an explanation. The philofophy of Vyafa is well introduced, and compared with that of our countryman Berkeley; but perhaps the poet becomes rather too didactic, when he proceeds (in page 13) to account for the rife of what has been called the ideal philofophy. The preceding view of the Vedanti school is able and poetical, but this conclufion fhould have been fhortened. As it ftands, it has too much the air of a digreffion. When he proceeds to celebrate the poetry of Calidafa, Mr. Grant, warmed with the subject, rifes to fingular elegance and beauty. Not many paffages can any where be found that are equal to the following. "Is there who knows how Love's foft thrillings burn, Nothing is more remarkable, throughout this poem, than the great diverfity of its features; as it embraces more ftyles of poetry than we recollect to have feen before united within the fame compals. The following passage of fublimely moral poetry is introduced by the mention of Vice, as one caufe for the decline of Literature. Bright and dazzling talents, the poet fays, are fometimes united with corrupt morals; "But of our fouls the high-born, loftier part, ERIT, CRIT. VOL. XXVI, SEPT. 1805. Like Like veftal flames, to pureft bofom's given, And kindled only by a ray from heaven." P. 19. There is fomething lame in two introductory lines pre ceding this paffage, For ftill this fovereign principle we find, True in the individual as the kind; but the reft is of great beauty. In difplaying the profpects of reviving science now opening on Hindoffan, Mr. Grant has adverted with fuccefs to the most celebråted Englishmen who have lately flourished in the east. Sir William Jones of courfe occupies a large fpace, and his literary works are defcribed with the hand of a mafter. The conclusion of his character is too excellent to be omitted. "Oh, could my verfe, in characters of day, Patriot, yet friend to all the world befide; Ardent with temper, and with judgment bold: Firm, though not ftern, and though correct, not cold; Profound to reason, or to charm us gay; Learn'd without pride, and not too wife to pray." P. 21. The characters of Mr. William Chambers, and his refpected brother, Sir Robert, immediately follow; the former lefs known than he ought to be in this country, for his profound skill in oriental languages, and truly amiable difpofition; the latter fo well known, that few will fail to fee the truth of the following brief eulogy. "Oh, crown'd with learning, and refin'd by art, The generous mind, the uncorrupted heart! Still Ifis, hallowed ftream! his name reveres, And British Themis fheds her awful tears." P. zz. The names of Wilkins, Wilford, and many others, are then enumerated, and this part of the fubject is concluded by a truly elegant and pathetic lamentation for the premature death of Mr. Lewis Mackenzie, fon of the celebrated author of of the "Man of Feeling," who died at Calcutta in 1800; juft after being honoured with a medal, for his proficiency in the ftudies promoted by the new college. But the poet rifes, as he ought, to the nobleft flights in the conclufion of his poem, when he contemplates the high ad vantages to be expected from the future prevalence of Chrif tianity in the eaft. He dwells with peculiar energy and pro priety on the miferable degradation of the prefent Hindoos of the loweft caft, who are taught to believe themselves to be of the fame fpecies as the Jackalls, and to fuppofe that through eternal tranfmigrations they fhall never rife higher.. To the Briton, therefore, the poet fays: "Be thine the tak, his drooping eye to cheer, Be thefe thy trophies, Queen of many Ifles! Shall Truth divine her tearlefs victories spread; Strange chiefs admire, and turban'd warriors kneel, This is a view of things which muft warm the coldeft heart, and cannot be contemplated without exultation by any chriftian reader. May it, as fpeedily aseis confiftent with peaceful methods, be realized! The ftyle of this poem is in general rich and magnificent; though fometimes perhaps rather encumbered with metaphors. The lines that are weak or flat are very few in number, as few perhaps as can any where be found in a poem of equal Sumeeru is the mountain on which Indra's heaven is placed. + In allufion to the four caftes. length. In one inftance only we have obferved a grammá tical inaccuracy *. That the oriental allufions are fometimes rather redundant we have already fhown; but they are alfo very frequently introduced with much propriety and effect. We ftrongly recommend the whole to the attention of our readers. Mr. Grant certainly brought to his work talents and qualities, which could not fail to enfure fuccefs. His knowledge is extenfive, his tafte elegant, his imagination lively, and yet his judgment almost always correct. His language is in general rich and harmonious, and either ftrong or flowing as the fubject requires. In contemplating fuch a production, we cannot regard the writer merely as the author of a defervedly fuccefsful prize poem; but as a poet gained to the country; from whofe talents and efforts the may fafely anticipate many truly valuable acceflions to her li terature. ART. IV. Obfervations on the Duty on Property, Profeffions, c. to render its Affeffment fimple, and to improve it. By the Rev. L. Heflop, Archdeacon of Bucks, 8vo. 37 PP 1s. 6d. Seeley. Buckingham. 1805. IN times like thefe, whoever facilitates, by his prudence and experience, the collection of public fupplies, is a benefactor of high degree to his country. This end is promoted, not only by fuggeftions for the enactment of wife financial laws; but also, by fhowing (with truth) that the laws enacted are founded in juftice and policy. Mr. H. has properly done this, in the opening of his work; from which we thall make an extract: "The object of the Act of the 43d of Geo. IH. ch. 122. is to lay a duty of 1s. in zos. on all profits and gains from what ever fource they may arife, or of whatever kind they may be ; but fubject to certain exemptions and abatements specified therein. And this duty is to be paid by the perfon in the receipt of fuch profits or gains, whether he may enjoy the whole, or only a part: Aftronomy her high career begun. P. 9. Where the context abfolutely demands began. It might easily be corrected. and |